Why I Stopped Buying Trendy Skincare

We all do it. We’re on Instagram looking at all of the beautiful bottles and #shelfies. We are constantly being influenced to try the latest and greatest products. But no matter how badly you want that adorable little pink bottle on your vanity, there is a truth that lies deep within all of the skincare addiction madness. Ready for it?

Not all of those products were intended for you to use!

I know it’s a painful realization (especially to the non minimalistic, skincare hoarding lovers.) The crazy part is, it gets to a point where we are no longer even buying products to enhance our skin. We are buying products simply to buy products. We are seeing what our favorite celebrities or skincare influencers are using and we’re buying it. We don’t care whether it was created for oily skin and we’re dry as the Sahara desert. We see the product. It’s pretty. We want. We buy.

I will whole heartedly admit that (to an extent) this was me. I started my beauty/lifestyle Instagram account about a year ago and immediately fell down the crazy path that is skincare obsession. I don’t want to say “addiction” because that’s a pretty intense statement. I certainly wasn’t addicted but I was OBSESSED with trying new skincare products and was using different products on my skin every single night. Now, there are some skin types that can handle this type of madness.

My skin is not one of them.

My skin started declining rapidly. Keep in mind that I had just moved my life across the world and was embarking on a scary, new, unknown chapter in life. I had SO many changes happening. Stress, climate, diet, lifestyle all play a MAJOR factor in our skin’s health. Yet as all of this was happening, I was just starting to really dive into the Instagram world of beauty…particularly skincare.

It started with just a few small breakouts. Nothing major. I was used to having a few spots here and there.

Within a month of living in Australia/starting my Instagram account, those breakouts were no longer just a few spots. There were patterns. Cystic patterns. Patterns that were primarily just on my temples and a bit on the forehead. So, what did I do? I bought even more skincare products to try and “fix” my skin. I had started my account in July/August and by Halloween, my skin was the worst I had ever seen it. It was irritated, over exfoliated, red, swollen, dehydrated and just crying for help.

Fast forward 5 months. My skin was even worse by this point. This is when I finally decided that it was time to see a dermatologist. I’m not going to turn this into a “My Acne Journey” post as I’ll save that for a rainy day. But let me tell you what had been taking place during these 5 months of skin havoc.

During these 5 months, my Instagram started growing rapidly (rapidly for me.) I was blessed to have started receiving PR packages from brands (mostly skincare) and was constantly trying out new products to review. If I wasn’t receiving the packages via PR, I was buying new skincare that I’d seen on my fellow influencers’ accounts. Let me remind you, by this point, my skin was dealing with cystic spots, red, painful, dehydrated, dark spots galore, and just overall screaming for change. I continued beating the hell out of my skin with acids, trying a million new cleansers, using fragrant products with millennial pink packaging (because they looked pretty in my photos) and using products that were gifted to me but not at all right for my skin.

Fast forward another 4 months (I’m skipping these 4 months because my skin was destroyed from using tretinoin and it was a very dark, sad period. I’ll talk about this in an “Acne” post.”) But 4 months later, here I am, still trying to find what works for my skin. Have I found a miracle cure for my skin issues? No. I haven’t. And you know why?

Because miracle skincare products don’t exist.

No matter how incredible Sunday Riley’s Good Genes makes your skin look, it is not a miracle product. There is no miracle cure for acne (especially adult acne) and there is no oil that is created by tears of the skincare Gods that will take away all of your problems and give you the fountain of youth.

I love skincare. I appreciate skincare. I love learning about ingredients and new launches. I love the way the beautiful bottles look on my vanity. I am constantly curious about what my favorite people (*cough*cough the royals) are using on their skin. But you know what? My skin is different than Kate’s skin! Your skin is different than mine. Your skin is different than your favorite influencer’s and most likely different than Caroline Hirons’ (this was a tough one for me to realize because I worship that woman and her skincare routines!) I am now treating my skin with love. I am using a maximum of 2, maybe 3 products at night and all of those products are basic, soothing and agree well with my skin. Is the packaging glamorous on these products? Not in the least. One of them is kept in my fridge because it’s a prescription and has to be refrigerated. My moisturizer isn’t in pretty pink packaging and isn’t super trendy…but it’s keeping my skin calm. I’m using the same Clinique eye cream I’ve used for 5 years and I’m using a basic drugstore cleanser.

Am I still trying new products here and there? Of course! But I am no longer seeking products simply to have them in my collection. Skincare is very, very different than makeup, my friends. Having 10 lipsticks gives you options but having 10 acid toners could potentially set you up for disaster.

My best advice? If you find something that works well for you, stick with it! Love it. Appreciate it. Be thankful that you found something that your skin loves. Does that mean that you have to use that product for the rest of your life? Of course not. Skin changes. Formulas even change and are updated. But there is something liberating about no longer feeling insanely drawn to new skincare launches and pretty packaging. I can appreciate them and research them and read reviews. But that doesn’t mean that I have to buy them and use them on my face. As for all of these beautiful bottles I’ve collected over the months? Of course, I’ll keep them and probably reintroduce many of them when my skin is ready. If they truly didn’t work for me, they will be passed on.

The beautiful thing about skincare is that there are products out there for everyone. Some people are just super lucky to have their skin react very well to the luxe formulas in the beautiful packaging. Others do well with drugstore formulas. Some have to have fragrance free and others swear by essential oils. There is no “good” or “bad” with skincare. It is simply finding the right match for your skin. Tailoring a routine to suit your needs and curating a concise collection to enhance your skin’s health.

I love the aesthetics of skincare. I love the sensorial experience of a skincare routine. But overconsuming and wrecking your skin is not beautiful. Simplicity is the new name of my skincare game. And when I am tempted by a new launch in pretty packaging? I acknowledge it, support my influencer friends that are testing out the formula, appreciate the Insta worthy packaging and find comfort in knowing that it is simply not the product for me.

I’d love to know if you’ve ever fallen into the “Instagram made me do it” trap and purchased a product that didn’t suit your skin. Leave a comment below and lets get chatting!

“Sometimes people are beautiful. Not in looks. Not in what they say. Just in what they are. -Markus Zusak

Love and light, Carrie xo